The present invention relates to an adjustable leg assembly and particularly to a motor-driven leg assembly which can be employed for controlling the height of a work surface.
As the work place environment changes with technology, so too do the facilities employed by companies to provide ergonomically appropriate work stations for technical, clerical, and assembly personnel. In order to accommodate different job tasks, frequently it is desirable to have a work surface which is vertically adjustable, such that the work surface can be employed by individuals in a standing position, in a sitting position on an office chair, or in an intermediate position when using, for example, a stool-height seat. With the ubiquitous use of personal computers, multiple adjustable table heights accommodate different individual needs for placing a monitor, for example, at a level, which may be different than the writing surface or the work surface on which the computer controls are employed. There exists, therefore, an increasing need for a work surface which has an adjustable height and one which can be economically manufactured to provide desired movement and which esthetically blends with an office decor or other working environment.
There exists numerous adjustable table assemblies which are either mechanically controlled by, for example, a screw-jack mechanism or which are electrically controlled screw jacks. Some installations employ hydraulic cylinders with a pump for moving fluid from a master cylinder to slave cylinders mounted within telescopic legs of a table for controlling the vertical adjustment of the work surface. These systems typically employ telescopic tubes which conceal the actuators, be they mechanical, hydraulic or electrical, such that the work station base is coupled to a fixed outer tube and a telescopic inner tube surrounds an actuator, such as a hydraulic cylinder or screw jack coupled to a motor mounted to the undersurface of the table. Although such construction adequately provides the table motion, such designs limit the ability of the office designer to incorporate such tables in a variety of work place environments where, for example, an executive office may include such a work station, as may and assembly area, which typically require entirely different levels of decor.
It would be desirable, therefore, to provide a leg adjustment system which has universal application to a variety of work environments and one which is relatively inexpensive to manufacture, reliable in operation and provides an esthetic appearance which conforms to modern day work environments.
The adjustable leg assembly of the present invention satisfies this need by providing a mounting system in which an outer support or base leg receives a pair of spaced, multiple section slides, each having one end coupled within the base leg and the opposite end coupled to a motor actuator secured to the underside of a work surface. The slides provide lateral strength and stability for the telescopic motion between raised, lowered, and intermediate adjustable positions and provide a trim cover for concealing the drive mechanism employed for adjusting the work surface.
In the preferred embodiment of the invention, each adjustable leg assembly includes a rectilinear base leg with opposite sides on which there are mounted a pair of slides having one member of each slide fixed to the base leg and an opposite movable end of each slide coupled to a motor actuator secured to the underside of the work surface. A pair of trim strips are mounted to extend in the areas between the slides for concealing the actuator mechanism which extends between the base leg and the table surface. In a still further preferred embodiment of the invention, the base leg is an extrusion having a plurality of mounting apertures formed therein and trim panel receiving slots such that the appearance of the adjustable leg assembly can be modified for a given work environment and decor.
The adjustable leg assembly so-formed can accommodate a variety of actuators, such as hydraulic cylinders or screw jacks, although in the preferred embodiment electrically driven screw jacks are employed. The adjustable leg assembly of the present invention, therefore, provides an economical, reliable and sturdy leg assembly which can be employed with a variety of work surfaces including single pedestal or multiple leg table supports or for multiple tables used in conjunction with one another. The design of the adjustable coupling between the base leg and table top provides both a strong and reliable mechanism as well as one which accommodates the, dxc3xa9cor of a variety of work environments. Further, in a preferred embodiment of the invention, the base legs and one or more cross members are extruded of the same design to reduce cost, accommodate assembly, and receive slide-in trim panels.
These and other features, objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent upon reading the following description thereof together with reference to the accompanying drawings.